Wormwood and His Cedric
by Accidental-Acid-Burns
Summary: A few moments in Wormwood and Cedric's lives where they showed dedication to the other.


Cedric was ten when he first met Wormwood. He was attending the school for royals, because someone had accidentally blown up the sorcery school. He wasn't having any fun at all, not like he had much fun at the sorcery school, but at least there he could hide himself away in places only he knew about. Here everyone was mean to him, he was the only one sent here, he'd pleaded his father to send him with then, but his reply was, "Sorry, my dear boy, you'e been offered a place by the king to attend school with his only son for now. You'll be fine." Cedric had ran to his mother, who patted him on the face, and said that he'd be fine, not to worry. And so here he was. At the school, angry with two scraped knees from being pushed over, and bloody plams from trying to land. He didn't fit in here. He's run off into some trees to catch his breath, no one really came here because it frightened them. it was dark and loud and frightening. But it didn't worry Cedric. His father had shown him a light spell, so he could cast it if for some reason he became frightened. (He'd spent a lot of time in forests, he wasn't frightened.)

It took awhile for the childs frazzled mind to pick up a frantic cheeping. Looking around, more curious than anything else, Cedric saw a small Raven, only just hatched, he thinks, scooping it up in his hands, and looked around for the birds nest. He then saw a dead raven had been tied to a tree, probably to scare away other ravens, he thought, and looked at the little bird. He could leave it here, and it would surely starve. He carefully petted the birds head, and walked back to the school, it was well into lessons, nobody had looked for him. He didn't know what he had been expecting, really.

Cedric was fifteen when his parents thought he was going to die. The boy was pale, sickly looking, feverish and couldn't think about everything. No one really knows what brought it on, for the poor child, but Prince Roland felt a little responsible for it, maybe if he'd done what his father asked, and stayed around with Cedric for the few months he'd been at his school, than the poor boy wouldn't have let himself get this bad. He paid him a visit, late one afternoon, and saw the boy was half awake, and talking what seemed to be almost gibberish to a bird perched on his hand. The bird seemed happy enough to listen to the young mans nonsense, occasionally making noises at him, at such a proximity, Roland thought must hurt the other boys head. But he didn't seem to notice. (Roland once had a cold where he'd felt like his head was full of cotton wool. Maybe that's why he hadn't noticed) He walked over, and the bird Cedric had been stroking flew over squaking loudly at him. Cedric seemed to be pulled from his half awake dream to call for his bird. "Wormy!" He called, "No! Wormy leave him alone, he's a friend." That seemed to zap the last of poor Cedric's strength, and the boy fell back onto his pillow. Wormwood almost glared at Roland, Roland in return gave the bird a dry look. Wormwood settled on Cedric's bed head, which upon further inspection, Roland could see lots of little gouges in the wood, must be the birds sitting place, he thinks, as Cedric let out a long breath, and let himself rest his eyes for a few moments. Wormwood decided to try and pull the blankets up, Cedric honestly didn't have enough strength to move, let alone pull up the sheets. Roland gave Wormwood a hand, Wormwood made a thankful noise at him. Cedric managed to turn onto his side to face Roland, "Your higness." He said, As Wormwood settled on his pillow.

"Cedric." He replied, "You better live through this, you know? I don't want to have to find a new sorcerer when I'm king." Cedric gave him a slight smile,

"Who said I was going to be your sorcerer?" He mumbled, one hand coming to rest on Wormwood.

"Well, you are a sorcerer in training, and I do need one when I become King." Roland said. Cedric smiled slightly.

"Even if I'm the worst sorcerer in the whole entire world?" Roland gave him a little smile,

"Yes Cedric, even if you're the worst sorcerer in the whole entire world." Wormwood gave him a look, which clearly said, 'you better live up to this, human.'

Wormwood broke his wing once. Amber had never seen the sorcerer not come at his fathers call. Honestly, Cedric had always come at the call, so when he didn't Roland went into a panic, and demanded Balieywick open the door to Cedric's tower in a panic, but it seems that only Cedric could get in. Amber, however, showed Roland where the key to the door was, so they could get in. To their shock, Cedric was sitting at his table with Wormwood, talking to the bird, and petting it's head. The birds injured wing in a cast at it's side, he and the bird seemed content alone, so Roland shuffled her out. Amber went back in later, and looked over his shoulder,

"Cedric." She began, "Why are you here with a bird rather than with my father doing your job?" Cedric didn't tell her off or say anything rude, he just looked at her,

:He's not just a bird, Princess Amber." He said, looking at the sleeping bird, "He's my friend."

"He's a bird." Cedric looked at her again,

"Perhaps, but he's my bird." He hummed softly. Amber left after that, still not understanding the royal sorcerers attachment to the creature.

Cedric was sick again, just a badly as before. Roland ordered the best doctors, and people watching him, and enforcing that he'd done it before he would do it again. He had to. Sofia went into the medical room with a get well card for Cedric. It wasn't catching, she'd been told, but she wasn't to wake him up, he needed to rest. Cedric looked almost peaceful, sleeping there, it made her really sad. Cedric wasn't meant to be ill, adults didn't get ill. They just didn't. She went in, and noticed Wormwood was perched himself on Cedric's bed head, what a loyal bird, she thought. She'd seen Wormwood around, of course she had, he was where Cedric was, most of the time. The bird knew she could understand him, so he was careful not to speak to his human friend.

"Hello Wormwood." She greeted him. Wormwood remined silent, not willing to speak up. Cedric tossed slightly in his sleep. "How is Mr Seedric?" She asked.

"He's sick." Wormwood replied, glaring at her with his beady bird eyes.

Sofia nodded, and placed the card on the table. "I made him a card."

"I can see that." He replied, and hopped onto the table. "He likes you very much, Miss Sofia. " Wormwood said.

"Well I like him very much." She smiled. "He's my friend." Wormwood smiled, it seemed he'd found a suitable human for Cedric to be friends with after his death.

"Cedric doesn't like most people, Miss Sofia. And as a result, not a lot of people like Cedric."

"Lots of people like Cedric. I like Cedric. Dad likes him, and so does Mom." Worwood looked back at her, she was very innocent, very cute, very sweet. She made him yearn for the days that Cedric was little.

"Miss Sofia I'm going to die someday, and when I do, I need someone to care for Cedric, not forever, just until he realizes that I'm not everything he has n the world. Can I trust you to care fo him?" Sofia gave him a surprising serious look,

"Okay, Wormy." She giggled.  
"It's Wormwood. Only Cedric gets to call me Wormy." He glared. Cedric shifted in his sleep again.

Wormwood died when Sofia was fifteen, and no one had ever seen Cedric so distressed and hopeless. No one knew anything had happened, until Cedric didn't come on the kings orders, the last time that had happened had been when Wormwood broke his wing, so of course Roland was worried right away. He and Sofia went to check on his sorcerer. Cedric was sitting cross legged in the floor, humming softly to Wormwood, rocking him back and fourth, it was plain to see that the bird was dead. Roland gave Cedric a sad look, and rubbed his shoulder gently. "Cedric, would you like some more time alone with him?" Cedric looked up at him, every bit the lonley out of place boy from the royal academy. Sofia sat next to him, and looked at Wormwood, who Cedric was still clutching close to him, she gave him a sad look,

"It's okay, Mr Cedric." She said, and gave him a hug.

"Can I just have a few more minutes alone with him?" Cedric whispered. Roland didn't mention he'd just asked Cedric that, and he and Sofia left the room. Cedric wasn't crying, he didn't cry. He was crying. He kept hoping that Wormwood would wake up and caww at him or peck him, or land on his hand, the only reason liked to wear gloves was so Wormwood didn't hurt his hand. He was silent for so long, he's not sure, though it was probablly a few moment, when a grey black smoke filled the air around him. He looked at Wormwood in shock as his body slowly turned from Bird to (Very attractive) man in a long black robe. "Wormy?" He asked softly, still not moving,

"Cedric." Wormwood said, shifting to touch Cedric's face. It felt so different to when he was a bird. "I think I owe you an explanation. "  
"You think?" Cedric said, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, I was cursed into being a raven. Because of you, and your care, I'm human again. I thought I was just going to die, but I'm still here, human no less." He said, quietly, to afraid to speak any louder, and ruin the tranquil moment.

"I see." Cedric mumbled.

Wormwood was still in Cedric's lap, and sat up so he was leaning against him, and then smiled,

"So, we gon take over this kingdom or not?" He asked. Cedric grinned.  
"I like the way you think, Wormy, have I ever told you that?" He smiled, as they stood.  
"A few times." He grinned, and looked at his friend, his Cedric.

'We're still going to rule the kingdom together?"

"Wouldn't feel the same without you, Cedric my dear." He grinned, as the two walked, hand in hand, to take over the kingdom.

A/N So yes my second STF story and not half as dark or upsetting as the last one hahha as always, reviews are lovely, but don't feel like you must :)


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